Cachexia is a syndrome characterized by the wasting of tissue mass in diseased animals, and is grossly reflected as a loss of host weight. Cachexia is a progressive and often fatal complication found in many different chronic disease states and its consequences require that the goals of therapy should not be solely to redress the underlying disease. The loss of protein stores, loss of body weight and generally poor nutritional status of cachectic patients can be independent sources of morbidity and mortality. Also, the debilitation associated with cachexia is a significant limitation on the patient's ability to tolerate aggressive medical and surgical therapies which are directed to the primary etiology.